While investors look at the financial ramifications of a possible acquisition by VMware of its parent Dell, some channel partners are concerned about the possibility that VMware might lose its all-important independence.

A 25-year Ingram veteran who oversees all of its sales, vendor management and marketing as SVP of U.S. Go-to-Market, Kirk Robinson has now been named Chief Country Executive for the U.S. by the distributor.

Seventeen of the 27 publicly held channel companies on our watch list saw the price of their stock increase in 2017 while 10 recorded stock price declines. Take a look at which companies made gains and which didn't.